"I'm sorry—we disobeyed orders!"
Kira Izuru gritted his teeth, gripping his Asauchi with both hands as he struggled to hold back the rat-faced Hollow's claws.
"We're here to save you, so don't blame us, senpai!"
Abarai Renji held his Asauchi against the Hollow as well, then shouted toward Hinamori Momo:
"Hinamori!"
"Yes!"
"O lord! Mask of flesh and blood, all creation, fluttering wings, bearer of the name of Man! Heat and strife, across the sea, surging southward, march forth—
Hadō #31: Shakkahō!!"
Hinamori Momo thrust one palm forward, firing a crimson Kidō blast at the rat-faced Hollow.
BOOM!
Shakkahō struck the Hollow squarely in the chest—
But the spell's power was far too weak. Aside from scattering sparks, it did virtually no damage, instead further enraging the beast.
"ROOOAR—!"
The rat-faced Hollow howled to the heavens, summoning several more low-level Hollows, which charged viciously toward the remaining Shinigami trainees—
"Senpai, run while you still can!"
Abarai Renji shouted as he fled deeper into the cluster of buildings together with Hisagi Shūhei, Hinamori Momo, and Kira Izuru.
"Damn it! How did Hollows this huge get this close so easily?!" Renji roared.
"I don't know… but I've heard of Hollows that can conceal their spiritual pressure. It must be that type!" Hisagi Shūhei replied with a grim expression.
"There's no way we can defeat something like that with our strength! What do we do?!" Kira Izuru cried, his voice trembling.
"I've already sent a distress call to the Soul Society! Until reinforcements arrive, all we can do is endure!"
As soon as Hisagi Shūhei finished speaking, the surroundings suddenly darkened. His heart jolted, and he immediately shouted:
"Wait—danger!!"
"RAAAH—!"
More than a dozen giant Hollows emerged from all sides, completely surrounding the four of them. Their blood-red eyes glowed ominously in the night, while their sharp, sinister claws gleamed under the moonlight.
"How… how can this be?!" Hinamori Momo whispered, staring in horror at the towering Hollows before her.
"Why are there this many giant Hollows in a so-called safe zone?!" Renji growled through clenched teeth—but no one could answer him.
"Damn it… we have no choice but to fight head-on!" Hisagi Shūhei said, clutching his bleeding right cheek as he raised his Asauchi.
"It's over… it's over… we're really going to die here…" Kira Izuru trembled violently, clearly terrified.
"ROOOAR—!"
The giant Hollows fixed their crimson gazes on the few remaining Shinigami trainees, let out triumphant howls, and then charged forward all at once—
"O lord! Mask of flesh and blood, all creation, fluttering wings, bearer of the name of Man! Heat and strife, across the sea, surging southward, march forth!
Hadō #31: Shakkahō!!"
From atop the tall clock tower, Kasumioji Hoko leapt down and unleashed a Kidō spell straight at the rat-faced Hollow's head.
BOOM!
The crimson blast slammed into its mask, billowing thick black smoke!
"Now's our chance, Tokio!" Fūjin Taichi shouted, popping his head out from behind a trash bin beside the clock tower.
"AAAAAAAH—!"
Tsunayashiro Tokio roared as he leapt from another nearby building, driving his Asauchi straight into the rat-faced Hollow's eye before retreating.
"ROAR—!"
With one eye injured, the Hollow flew into a berserk rage. It spun around and swiped backward with one massive claw, sending Tsunayashiro Tokio flying—
CRASH!!
Tokio slammed violently into the clock tower. With a deafening boom, stone shattered everywhere as a thick cloud of dust billowed outward.
"Don't just stand there—fight back already!!" Fūjin Taichi roared at Hisagi Shūhei and the others.
"Ah—ah!" Renji was the first to react. He raised his Asauchi over his head and let out a few ferocious battle cries at the giant Hollows, killing intent blazing.
But seeing the dozen Hollows towering like mountains before them, he couldn't help but turn back and ask:
"Hey… is this actually going to work?!"
"No—but at least we'll die with dignity!"
Fūjin Taichi jumped out of the trash bin, casually picked up an Asauchi from the ground, and stood beside Hisagi Shūhei and the others, roaring defiantly at the giant Hollows.
"Idiot."
Hisagi Shūhei shook his head, lowered his gaze to the Asauchi in his hand, and let out a sigh.
"It looks like… this is as far as we go."
"ROOOAR—!"
The rat-faced Hollow was completely enraged. It opened its gaping maw toward the ground below, and in an instant a white Cero rapidly took shape—
Damn it… still not showing yourself? Aizen! How long are you planning to watch this game of yours?!
Staring at the white Cero forming in the Hollow's mouth, Fūjin Taichi clenched his teeth and cursed inwardly.
"No… no… I don't want to die… I don't want to dieeeee—!!"
Kira Izuru finally broke. He was the first to collapse, throwing away his Asauchi and clutching his head as he screamed.
"..."
The others fell silent. At this moment, they had already lost all expression and movement, staring blankly as the white Cero fired straight toward them—
"Kamishini no Yari—"
A soft murmur sounded. A blade radiating dazzling light arrived in an instant, piercing straight through both the Cero and the rat-faced Hollow—
"Sorry—we're late. But you all did very well."
A gentle, warm voice rang out. A humble-looking man with short brown hair and black-framed glasses slowly walked forward.
He was dressed in a jet-black shihakushō, with a captain's pure-white haori draped over it. On the back, a large black '5' was emblazoned.
Behind him followed a narrow-eyed man with short light-purple hair, also dressed in black. He held a short blade, and on his left arm was tied a vice-captain's armband, embroidered with the number 5 and a Pieris japonica flower.
"Y-you're… Captain Aizen of the Fifth Division, and Vice-Captain Ichimaru!!"
Hisagi Shūhei's eyes widened in excitement as he spoke each word clearly.
"Scary, wasn't it? It's all right now. Go rest—leave this place to us."
Aizen Sōsuke gently placed his hand on Hinamori Momo's head and spoke softly.
"Well now… that really is quite a frightening number," Ichimaru Gin remarked with his usual narrowed eyes.
The next second, his short blade snapped forward.
"Kamishini no Yari!!"
The white blade appeared once more before Fūjin Taichi and the others, instantly piercing the mask of a giant Hollow. Then it traced a counterclockwise arc—
In the blink of an eye, every giant Hollow in the vicinity turned to ash.
"ROOOAR—!"
The final giant snake-headed Hollow let out a furious howl and lunged at Aizen Sōsuke, who stood there barehanded.
But Aizen merely smiled faintly. He raised his right hand, placed it against the Hollow's claw, and gave a light squeeze—
The Hollow instantly dissipated into nothingness.
"C-Captain Aizen…"
For Hinamori Momo and Kasumioji Hoko, this was the first time witnessing a captain-class Shinigami in battle at such close range. An indescribable light shone in their eyes.
"..."
Fūjin Taichi silently took in the entire scene, his heart shaken to the core.
The giant Hollows that everyone had risked their lives against… were erased by Aizen as casually as brushing away dust.
The gap in power was simply overwhelming.
So this is it…
The peak of the Shinigami—the strength of a Gotei 13 captain.
Fūjin Taichi stared at the snow-white captain's haori draped over Aizen's back and slowly clenched his fists.
In the world of Bleach, survival has always followed the law of the jungle. Hollow or Shinigami alike—only those who wield absolute power can endure in this absurd world.
And so, here and now, Fūjin Taichi made a solemn vow in his heart:
I, Fūjin Taichi—no matter what it takes—will evolve into the very pinnacle of the Shinigami.